The position is located in the Secretariat of the Headquarters Committee on Contracts (HCC) and Headquarters Property Survey Board (HPSB), Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Management (OUSG/DM). Within delegated authority, the Chair will be under the direct supervision and guidance of the Under-Secretary-General.

Responsibilities

Convene and preside over meetings of the HCC and HPSB; convene emergency and special meetings of the HCC to deal with urgent requirements. Ensure that procurement cases proposed for award are in compliance with the Financial Regulations and Rules and established procurement procedures. Ensure that outputs produced by the HCC/HPSB maintain high-quality standards; that reports and meeting minutes and recommendations are clear, objective and provide an accurate reflection of the HCC/HPSB deliberations and meet required standards to ensure they comply with their mandates. Provide leadership in the development of innovative and/or change management programmes. Contribute to the formulation of the Organization’s overall strategies and policies in the area of procurement and property management by participating in various committees, preparing documents on policy issues, and acting, as required, in an advisory capacity to the USG/DM and the Controller. Coordinate and oversee the preparation of reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the Fifth Committee, as appropriate. Make presentations at workshops and training conferences for Chief Procurement Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Chief Transport Officers, and other organized meetings. Provide direction and supervision to the Deputy Chair, direct and manage operations for the joint-HCC/HPSB Secretariat. Oversee the administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the joint-HCC/HPSB Secretariat, including preparation of budgets, reporting on its performance, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for vacancies. Formulate policies, provide guidance to all Local Committees on Contracts (LCC) and monitor the proper functioning of the committees in peacekeeping missions in consultation with the Procurement Division and Department of Field support. Oversee the activities of the Local Property Survey Boards established pursuant to the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations. Develop and coordinate coherent practices for property survey with local, regional and peacekeeping offices. The incumbent will also perform as the Registrar of the Award Review Board (ARB) and will be responsible for conducting a preliminary review of Procurement Challenges upon receipt of complaints; determine their eligibility for further review by a panel of experts or transfer the cases to Senior Vendor Review Committee. The Registrar will also be responsible for selecting the experts, as well as subject matter experts, if necessary, for the review and recommendation process.

Competencies

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations; takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. In-depth and expert knowledge of international procurement and laws of contract, best practices, regulations, as well as current knowledge of broader economic and market trends, sound knowledge of UN, or other similar large international organization, policies, regulations and rules and administrative and management principles in the area of procurement and other administrative and financial operations of significant complexity, volume and financial and/or operational impact; intellectual ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives, superior negotiating skills and ability to persuade and influence others to reach agreement on complex issues.

Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and the organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, public or business administration or a related area. A first-level degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in the specified fields with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in law, public or business administration, procurement, finance or a related field is required. Experience in managing a team in a multicultural environment is required. Experience in dealing with UN, or other large similar international organization, regulations, rules and policies in the area of procurement and contract law is desirable. Experience in contract negotiations is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official UN language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.

Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation or sexual abuse, or crimes other than minor traffic offences, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.